The University of North Carolina Press

448 pp., 5.875 x 9.25, 60 illus., notes, bibl., index

Distributed for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Paper

ISBN  978-0-8078-6523-1

Published: November 2011

Favored by Fortune

George W. Watts and the Hills of Durham

By Howard E. Covington Jr.

In this collective biography spanning four generations, Howard Covington explores how one prestigious family shaped the development of Piedmont North Carolina, particularly the city of Durham. Covington examines the lives and legacies of George Washington Watts; his son-in-law, John Sprunt Hill; and Hill's son, George Watts Hill, and grandson, George Watts Hill Jr., analyzing the personalities, beliefs, relationships, and life forces that propelled these four men to become leading figures of their generations.

Perhaps best known for such family businesses as Central Carolina Bank, the Carolina Inn, and Watts Hospital, and for their partnership in the American Tobacco Company, Watts and the Hills were also advocates for education, fair banking, credit unions, and health insurance. Active in both local and statewide politics, they worked for major infrastructure changes, including a better highway system and the development of Research Triangle Park, and all left lasting legacies.

Originally published in 2004.

A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

About the Author

Howard E. Covington Jr., of Greensboro, North Carolina, is a prize-winning journalist, author or coauthor of more than a dozen histories and biographies, and coeditor of The North Carolina Century: Tar Heels Who Made a Difference, 1900-2000.